question regarding feeding chickens to avoid mice

[Scotty from BI]

I would like to withhold food from the flock for up to about three hours in the morning.

Let me explain. until recently, I have been waking up every morning when the chickens wake at the crack of dawn and putting food in their closed run. I put the food away at night to keep rats and mice away. But it is getting harder and harder to wake up every morning as I age and days get longer. So I began leaving the feeder available over night to give them access in the morning. Now for the first time I am seeing mice. I have killed about one a day with traps (Put out 10 baited traps) but that is not really a solution since they reproduce quickly and will soon learn to avoid the traps.

Would it cause any harm to have the chickens wait for me to wake up before their first feeding, possibly up to 3 or more hours after they wake. They do have access to water and can get into the run. Once I put the food down it will be available all day until they go to sleep.

I am not a fan of the treadle feeders since seeing mice get into the cracks spaces of these feeders. Mice seem to be able to get into anything.

Appreciate your comments.

 

[sourland]

It will not hurt your birds to wait a bit for their breakfast.

 

[Kiki]

The chickens won't mide the wait one bit.

Go back to picking up the food at night asap.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The chickens will be fine. Mine don't get fed until 8, 9 AM. Do make sure they have access to water though.

 

[Scotty from BI]

Thanks guys, I guess my concern was that they might start to become more aggressive toward one another with no food when they emerge from the coop

 

[Kiki]

Thanks guys, I guess my concern was that they might start to become more aggressive toward one another with no food when they emerge from the coop

Are they already picking on each other? If so this might make it worse.

 

[Scotty from BI]

No they are not picking on each other, I don't want it to start

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you want to try easing them into it, you can try putting out the food a little later each day (maybe 15 min each day?) until you reach your ideal wake up time. That should make it easier for them to adjust.

 

[Gray Farms]

It doesn't matter when you feed them. I feed mine after work 5-6 pm.

 

[Scotty from BI]

Even though they are confined to a closed run and coop?